Woke up craving some legit Banh Mi Cha after seeing a drool-worthy pic online. Figured I’d try my hand at it, cause how hard could a sandwich be, right? Yeah… famous last words.
The Great Grocery Scramble
First off, hitting the Asian market felt like a treasure hunt. Needed those specific bits. Grabbed a big ole pork belly slab – the fatty kind, because duh, flavor. Almost cried when I saw the price tag though. Seriously? For pig fat?
Scoured the fridge section forever trying to find Vietnamese ham. You know, the pinkish, kinda bouncy stuff? Found something labeled “Cha Lua” near the tofu. Looked close enough. Tossed it in the cart, fingers crossed.
Then the pickled veggies hunt. Carrots and daikon radish – easy. No pre-made stuff? Ugh. Fine. Bought ’em fresh, grumbling about extra work. Found pate in a jar, thank goodness. Wasn’t the fancy kind, just regular old chicken liver spread. Grabbed a crunchy baguette that seemed reasonably fresh-ish. Oh, and cilantro – bunch of that fresh stuff. Hooks always get stuck in the plastic. Annoying.
Kitchen Chaos Unfolds
Back home, the real fun began. That pork belly? Took forever to trim. So much fat! Sliced it kinda thin-ish, trying not to butcher my fingers. Made a marinade with fish sauce, sugar, garlic, lemongrass – smelled strong, like really strong. Left the pork bathing in that funky juice for like an hour while I tackled the veggies.
Peeling carrots and daikon felt like punishment. Julienne? Forget perfect matchsticks, man. Just chopped them as thin as I could without losing a thumb. Mixed vinegar, sugar, water, bit of salt. Poured it over the pile of veggies. Hoped it’d taste better than it looked.
Finally cooked the marinated pork. Fried it up in a hot pan. Sizzle! Smelled amazing… until some bits got a little too crispy. Almost blackened. Whoops. Sliced the Vietnamese ham into medallions. Looked rubbery. Threw it in the pan too, just to warm it up.
The Banh Mi Build (Slightly Sloppy)
Now the assembly. Cut that baguette, scratched up the roof of my mouth just thinking about it. Needed protection. Spread mayo thick on one side. On the other, slapped that jarred pate on like spackle. Not elegant.
- Pork Belly: Loaded in the good (and slightly burnt) bits.
- Ham Medallions: Threw those on top.
- Pickled Stuff: Scooped a big forkful onto the meat pile, drips everywhere.
- Cilantro Forest: Tore up a bunch, stems and all, dumped it on.
- Final Garnish: Splash of Maggi? Yeah, why not. Splish splash.
Smashed the bread shut. Looked messy. Leaking juices already. Gave it a mighty squeeze. Ah, the satisfying crunch. Took a huge bite.
Okay, So How Was It?
First impression: Chaos in my mouth. Lots going on. Crunchy bread (ouch, gums!), tangy pickled veggies cutting through the rich pork fat. That fatty belly was the star, honestly. Burned bits kinda worked? Added smokiness. The pate? Faded into the background mostly. Ham added meaty chew. Cilantro punch was good.
Was it mind-blowing? Nah. Decent? Yeah, pretty tasty. Satisfied the craving. WAY better than the sad Subway down the street, that’s for sure. Next time? Maybe find better pate. Skip the ham? Possibly. Less burnt pork. Always less burnt pork. Worth the hassle? Maybe… once I recover from the kitchen explosion.
